Method and device for playing a game with elimination

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a method for playing a card game with elimination in which players play against each other and can interact with one another to determine a player to be eliminated from the game. A predetermined number of game pieces are dealt to players of the game. Each player is given an opportunity to exchange at least one game piece with one of the players or with game pieces in a common area to form a hand with the dealt game pieces. The game pieces can be exchanged by buying, selling, auctioning or trading game pieces to or from one of the players. Players can play either against each other or the dealer with a hand having the highest value and the lowest value being determined by the dealer or the players. Play against more than one player can continue in a survivor fashion with the loser&#39;s hand leaving the game on each round until only one player remains.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to games, such as a card game, in which playersplay against each other and can interact with one another to determine aplayer to be eliminated from the game.

2. Description of Related Art

Variations in card games using card point values are known. In gamessuch as black jack, a point value of cards is each player's hand isadded together to determine the value of the hand after the player hadthe opportunity to be dealt additional cards. Different hands arecompared to determine the winning hand, such as comparing the handagainst the dealer hand.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,632,486 describes a method of playing a card game usinga card number subtracting technique in which cards of the playing deckare assigned numerical point values. Eights, nines and tens are removedfrom the standard deck to establish a deck of forty cards. Each numberedcard is assigned its point value. Each ace is assigned a value of one.Each face card is assigned a value of zero. Two cards are initiallydealt to each player with each player having the option of receiving athird card. If a third card is dealt, one of the cards is discarded. Thehands are compared to determine a winning hand as the hand in which thepoint value difference between the two cards in the hand is closest tozero.

It is desirable to provide a game for enhancing a player's interest.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to a method for playing a card game withelimination in which players play against each other and can interactwith one another to determine a player to be eliminated from the game. Apredetermined number of game pieces are dealt to players of the game.Each player is given an opportunity to exchange at least one game piecewith one of the players or with game pieces in a common area to form ahand with the dealt game pieces. The game pieces can be exchanged bybuying, selling, auctioning or trading game pieces to or from one of theplayers. The game pieces can be placed in a face-up position whichreveals the value of the game piece or a face-down position which doesnot reveal the value of the game piece. In one embodiment, a hand can beselected from three game pieces. The game pieces can be, for example, aconventional deck of cards, Mah Jongg tiles, dice or dominoes. Playerscan play either against each other or the dealer with a hand having thehighest value and the lowest value being determined by the dealer or theplayers.

Play against more than one player can continue in a survivor fashionwith the loser's hand leaving the game on each round until only oneplayer remains. A betting board can be used with the game.

The present invention provides combination of a game of strategy, i.e.,poker with a bargaining feature. The bargaining feature can operate tochange the skill level of the players, the level of chance of receivinggame pieces and allows cooperation between players to advance or reducehands of other players.

The invention will be more fully described by reference to the followingdrawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for playing a game.

FIG. 2A is a schematic diagram of the game during play of a three cardpoker game.

FIG. 2B is a schematic diagram of the game during play of a five cardpoker game.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodimentof the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanyingdrawings. Wherever possible, the same reference numerals will be usedthroughout the drawings and the description to refer to the same or likeparts.

FIG. 1 is a flow diagram of a method for playing a game with elimination10. In block 12, a predetermined number of game pieces are dealt to oneor more game players. For example, a number of game pieces to formulatea potential hand or a full hand can be dealt to the one or more gameplayers. In a preferred embodiment, three or more game players are dealtgame pieces. For example, two, three, four, five, six or seven gamepieces could be dealt. In one embodiment, more game pieces than adetermined hand for a game are dealt and a player can select the gamepieces to be used in the hand. For example, seven game pieces are dealtto each player and the best five are selected.

For example, game pieces can be from a conventional deck of cards or tencards or subset thereof, such as an ace, two, three, four, five, six,seven, eight, nine or ten. In an alternate embodiment, Mah Jongg tilescan be used as game pieces. A number of Mah Jongg tiles are dealt to aplayer. Each of the Mah Jongg tiles is assigned the same point value asthe values on the face of the Mah Jongg tiles.

Alternatively, the game pieces can be one or more dominoes or die. Theassigned point values of the game pieces are determined by thecorresponding numbers of dots or numbers on the game pieces. In oneembodiment, a predetermined number of dice are rolled for each player.For example, the number of dice can be two through six die.

Optionally, a common game piece for all players is dealt. The commongame piece is used in each of the players' hand as one of the gamepieces determining a hand of each player. The common game piece can bedealt before or after dealing of game pieces to the players.

In one embodiment, each of the game pieces are dealt face up to revealthe value of the game pieces. In an alternate embodiment, at least oneof the game pieces are dealt face down so as not to reveal the value ofthe game piece.

In block 13, a predetermined number of game pieces are placed in acommon area. The game pieces can be placed face up to reveal the valueof the game piece or face down to not reveal the value of the gamepiece. The game pieces can be placed in the common area before or afterthe game pieces are dealt to the one or more players.

In block 14, the one or more players in a predetermined order can tradeone of their game pieces with a game piece from the common area. Forexample, the order can be determined to allow the player with a dealthand of lowest value to select from the common area first. Thereafter,the selection from the common area continues from the hand with thelowest value to the hand with the highest value until all game playershave had the opportunity to select from the common area if desired.Alternatively, a spinner or dice could be used to determine the order ofplayers to select game pieces from the common area.

In block 15, the game players in a predetermined order exchange one ormore game pieces to or from another player for improving their handand/or reducing the value of another player's hand. The game pieces canbe exchanged by trading, buying, selling or auctioning.

In block 16, a determination is made of the hand with the lowest value.In block 17, the game player corresponding to the hand with the lowestvalue is eliminated from the game. Blocks 12-17 can be repeated in asurvivor fashion with the loser's hand leaving the game on each rounduntil only one player remains.

FIG. 2A-2B illustrate game table 20 which can be used with method forplaying a game with elimination 10. For example, a game of 3, 5 or 7card poker can be played using method 10. Common game piece 21 is dealtto position 22. First game pieces 24 a-24 n are dealt to respectiveplayers at position 23. Thereafter, game pieces 25 a-25 n are dealt torespective players. Game pieces 24 a-24 n or 25 a-25 n can be dealtface-up to reveal the value of the game piece or face-down to not revealthe value of the game piece. For a game of 3-card poker, shown in FIG.2A, each player can form a hand including common game piece 21 andrespective game pieces 24 a-24 n and respective game pieces 25 a-25 n.Depending on the value of the formed hand, a player can decide to buy,sell, auction or trade one of their respective game pieces 24 a-24 n orrespective game pieces 25 a-25 n with one of game pieces 30 a-30 n incommon area 31. In one embodiment, the order of the players for makingselections from common area 31 can be determined by the value of thehand formed including common game piece 21, respective game pieces 24a-24 n and respective game pieces 25 a-25 n. For example, the playerhaving the lowest value of the formed hand can select a game piece fromcommon area 31 or opt not to select a game piece from common area 31.

Thereafter, players can buy, sell, auction or trade a predeterminednumber of respective game pieces 24 a-24 n and respective game pieces 25a-25 n to or from another player for improving their hand or reducingthe value of another player's hand. For example, each player can buy,sell, auction or trade one of their respective game pieces 24 a-24 n andrespective game pieces 25 a-25 n to or from one of the players.Thereafter, a determination is made of the hand with the lowest valueand the game player corresponding to the hand with the lowest value iseliminated from the game.

Betting can take place using betting board 20. Betting board 20 can be agaming table. A dealer places a predetermined number of game pieces onbetting board 20 at position 23, as described above according to block12. Optionally, a predetermined number of game pieces are placed incommon area 31, according to block 14. In one embodiment, betting board20 is mechanically and/or electronically activated. Alternatively,betting board 20 can be a video display and the game pieces are randomlyselected and displayed on the video display. A player places a bet inbetting location 32a-32n before, during or after selection of a hand. Inone embodiment, a bonus wager can be placed in betting locations 34 a-34n before block 12. One of the hands can be selected to have a bonusfeature before selection of the hand for play. Alternatively, a bonuswager can be made on a certain combination of game pieces which can bedetermined from one of hands. For example, the certain combination ofgame pieces can be three of a kind. If the selected hand includes thebonus feature, the player is a winner. The bonus feature can be selectedbefore the dealer places the game pieces on betting board 20. Block 15is performed to allow players to buy, sell, auction or trade apredetermined number of respective game pieces 24 a-24 n and respectivegame pieces 25 a-25 n to or from another player for improving their handor reducing the value of another player's hand. Block 16 is performed todetermine a value for each hand. In one embodiment, betting board 20includes processing capability for determining the value of hands. Aplayer wins if their hand has the highest determined point value and theplayer earns a predetermined payout. A player loses if their hand hasthe lowest determined point value and their bet is removed from thetable. In one embodiment, the player that is determined to be the loserpays a payout to all other players. The bets in betting locations 32a-32 n having hands not eliminated from the game remain in therespective betting locations 32 a-32 n. Betting continues and blocks12-17 are repeated.

For example, the payout can be equal to the amount bet or can be greaterthan the amount bet, such as paying out 3 to 1 odds. In one embodiment,the payout is based on the value of the hand. In one embodiment, theodds of winning the game may be made more in favor of the house. Forexample, a winning player will be paid less than the true odds of thebet in order to allow the house or casino to profit from hosting thegame. In another embodiment, the house can take a commission on allwinning players, for example, 5% of the winnings. In one embodiment, thegame is played in a casino. Alternatively the game can be played on avideo machine or over the Internet.

In an alternative embodiment, for a game of 5-card poker, shown in FIG.2B, each player can form a hand including common game pieces 21,respective game pieces 24 a-24 n, respective game pieces 25 a-25 n,respective game pieces 26 a-26 n, and respective game pieces 27 a-27 n.Depending on the value of the formed hand, a player can decide to buy,sell, auction or trade one of their respective game pieces 24 a-24 n,respective game pieces 25 a-25 n, respective game pieces 26 a-26 n, andrespective game pieces 27 a-27 n. In one embodiment, after being dealtrespective games pieces 24 a-24 n and respective game pieces 25 a-25 n,players can buy, sell, auction or trade a predetermined number ofrespective game pieces 24 a-24 n and respective game pieces 25 a-25 n toor from another player for improving their hand or reducing the value ofanother player's hand. Thereafter, after being dealt respective gamepieces 26 a-26 n and/or respective game pieces 27 a-27 n, players canbuy, sell, auction or trade a predetermined number of respective gamepieces 24 a-24 n and respective game pieces 25 a-25 n, respective gamepieces 26 a-26n and respective game pieces 27 a-27 n to or from anotherplayer for improving their hand or reducing the value of anotherplayer's hand. A determination is made of the hand with the lowestvalue. The game player corresponding to the hand with the lowest valueis eliminated from the game.

In alternate embodiments, hands can be made up of two, four, or six orany combination of game pieces. In alternate embodiments, other cardgames, for example, a game of hearts or bridge can be played using gametable 20 and predetermined number of game pieces.

In one embodiment, trades of game pieces cost a payment to the otherplayers or the dealer. In one embodiment, selection of cards from thecommon area costs a payment to the other players or dealer.

In one embodiment, an auction is set up between a plurality of playerswhich desire a game piece. A player indicating a highest payment for thegame piece is awarded the game piece. The awarded game piece can betraded for one of the dealt game pieces.

It is to be understood that the above-described embodiments areillustrative of only a few of the many possible specific embodiments,which can represent applications of the principles of the invention.Numerous and varied other arrangements can be readily devised inaccordance with these principles by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A method for playing a game comprising the steps of: a) dealing apredetermined number of game pieces to three or more players; b)providing an opportunity for each of said players for exchanging atleast one of said game pieces with one of said players or with gamepieces in a common area to form a respective hand with at least one ofsaid dealt game pieces; c) determining said hand having a lowest value;and d) eliminating said player from the game having said determined handhaving a lowest value.
 2. The method of claim 1 wherein one of said gamepieces is dealt in a common area as a common game piece, said game piecebeing used in forming said hand for each of said players.
 3. The methodof claim 1 further comprising the step of: each said player placing oneor more bets before determining the hand having the lowest value.
 4. Themethod of claim 2 wherein a player having said hand having the lowestvalue pays a payout to each of a said other players.
 5. The method ofclaim 3 wherein the payout is equal to an amount of the bet.
 6. Themethod of claim 3 wherein the payout is greater than an amount of thebet.
 7. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step of:determining a hand having a value which is highest and paying a payoutto said player having said hand having a value which is the highest. 8.The method of claim 2 wherein two game pieces and said common game pieceare dealt and the game is three card poker.
 9. The method of claim 2wherein four game pieces and said common game piece are dealt and thegame is five card poker.
 10. The method of claim 2 wherein six gamepieces and said common game piece are dealt and the game is seven cardpoker.
 11. The method of claim 1 wherein the game pieces are one or morecards of a deck of 52 cards, the lowest value of the hand being matchedto a lowest value of a conventional card game.
 12. The method of claim 1wherein the game pieces are one or more die, each face of the die isassigned a point value equaling the dots, the lowest value of the handbeing determined from a total of the assigned point values for an upwardface of each of the one or more die.
 13. The method of claim 1 whereinthe game pieces are one or more Mah Jongg tiles, each type of Mah Jonggtile is assigned a point value being determined from symbols on the MahJongg tile, the value of the hand being a total of the assigned pointvalues.
 14. The method of claim 1 wherein at least one of said gamepieces is placed in a face-up position and at least one of said gamepieces is placed in a face-down position.
 15. The method of claim 1further comprising the step of before step a): selecting a hand of gamepieces to have a bonus feature; and after step a) determining if theselected hand of game pieces to have a bonus feature has said bonusfeature.
 16. The method of claim 1 further comprising the step ofoperating the game on a video machine.
 17. The method of claim 1 furthercomprising operation the game through a data network.
 18. The method ofclaim 15 wherein the data network is the Internet.
 19. The method ofclaim 1 wherein steps a)-d) are repeated until only one player remains.20. The method of claim 1 wherein said step of exchanging at least oneof said game pieces comprises buying, selling, auctioning, or tradingsaid at least one of said game pieces to or from another of saidplayers.
 21. A device for playing a game comprising: a playing areahaving one or more first betting locations configured to receive one ormore bets; a dealer station having a position for receiving apredetermined number of game pieces for three or more players; a commonarea for receiving one or more game pieces; optionally a common gamepiece area for receiving one common game pieces; and means for providingan opportunity for each of said players for exchanging at least one ofsaid game pieces with one of said players or with game pieces in saidcommon area to form a respective hand with at least one of said receivedgame pieces.
 22. The device of claim 21 further comprising: a controllerfor selecting one or more of said game pieces.
 23. The device of claim21 wherein said controller comprises a video display having a touchsurface marked with positions of game pieces and after one of said gamepieces is selected with said controller, said corresponding one of saidpositions of game pieces is displayed on said touch surface.
 24. Thedevice of claim 21 further comprising one or more second bettinglocations configured to receive one or more bets of a bonus feature. 25.The device of claim 21 wherein the betting locations and said dealerstation are located on a gaming table.
 26. The device of claim 21wherein the game is played in a casino.
 27. The device of claim 21wherein the game is played on a video machine.
 28. The device of claim21 wherein the game is played over a data network.
 29. The device ofclaim 28 wherein the data network is the Internet.